US Spends About Rp 13.1 Trillion to Eliminate Khamenei for Israel

WASHINGTON – The United States military deployed one of the largest fleets in history in a joint strike with Israel on Iran. The cost to stage the attack that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was reported to be around 779 million US dollars, or around Rp 13.1 trillion.

The operation, code-named Epic Fury, is said to have caused hundreds of casualties in Iran. The Red Crescent reported 787 deaths and thousands wounded, including 165 children killed by Israel in an attack on a girls’ school.

So far, the reasons for US involvement have fluctuated. Initially to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, then to prevent ballistic capabilities.

The latest, US Secretary of State Mark Rubio told Congress that Washington was compelled to intervene because Israel intended to strike Iran first. US President Donald Trump denied, saying the attack was because Iran planned to strike Israel. In both narratives, Israel’s interests remain the driving factor.

Even before the attack on Iran, the American people’s money used to support the Israeli military in Gaza has not been small. According to Brown University’s 2025 Cost of War report, since 7 October 2023, the US has provided military aid to Israel totalling 21.7 billion dollars.

Moreover, American taxpayers have funded operations to support Israel in Yemen, Iran and the Middle East with costs of 9.65 billion to 12.07 billion dollars. This makes the total US expenditure related to these conflicts reach 31.35 to 33.77 billion dollars and rising.

In the ongoing attack on Iran since last Saturday, Anadolu reported that US forces spent around 779 million dollars, about Rp 13.1 trillion at an exchange rate of Rp 16,800 per dollar. The figure accounts for roughly 0.1 percent of the entire US defence budget for 2026, in the first 24 hours of the attack on Iran, according to estimates and data compiled by Anadolu.